Incredible. Not sure what else to say, honestly. Fantastic composition, tremendous vocals, catchy and original lyrics, pristine mix with outstanding presence, punchy without sacrificing dynamics...I mean, c'mon, haha. It's almost not fair how good it is. I bow before the majesty of this track.
Reviews for "Mad, Mad, Mad"
FinnMK responds:
You are too kind Jeremy! Glad you like it so much.
Uhmm... This is quite awesome! Structure, fills, backing voices, everythings on the point! The break at 2:05 is just great... Production is also pretty much perfect... Are you playing this with a band? Most of the instruments sound well live played (except maybe some of the brass and strings). If you now say you played all the instruments and sang all the backing vocals by yourself I´ll have to bow before you ;) Great arrangement, great track! You really need a life big band ;) Good luck here!
FinnMK responds:
You're so kind! I sang. played and recorded and all the parts myself, and everything you hear is live - there are no strings, in fact, and all the brass is layered trombone and trumpet.
Having a real life big band would be amazing. Maybe someday!
I love the Broadway-esque vibes I’m getting from this. The instrumentation is awesome. It’s the perfect mix of feel-good and punchy. I wish the drums were a bit wetter, but as they are they have a great natural and organic sound to them. The vocals have a really soulful and smooth quality, and the lyrics themselves are enjoyable as well. I deeply appreciate the variations you threw on the final chorus. This is an extremely fun piece that sounds like it’s pulled straight off of the Hairspray bonus track disc. If I had to be picky, I would say that I wanted you to vary that brass riff at 1:00 (and other places) just a bit more. I would also say that you could’ve brought out that funky guitar at :14 to be more up-front in the mix. Otherwise, I’m finding it very hard to complain about...well, just about anything. The piece is well-structured and smooth-flowing. The mood and atmosphere are just engrossing. Not only are you a Broadway singer - you’re a Broadway composer! I know you’ve gone far in this competition before, but this might just be your year (I’m writing this review before the results are completed). Regardless of the outcome, this piece deserves a congratulations! Keep it up, man! :D
9.75/10
FinnMK responds:
Thanks for all the comments, o mighty showrunner! I know what you mean about the drums. My greatest mixing challenge in past or present is to get the snare to sound right. I think it's probably a bit too dry here, but I couldn't find a good wet mix and at some point you have to step away and just say "I'm done."
Same sort of vibe with the horn variation. That same riff happens 5 times in a row every chorus which is not ideal, but I couldn't find something I liked better and I didn't want to wrack my brains into a stress-induced breakdown.
The Broadway comments are fun. I hadn't considered it musical-esque at all, but now that you say it I can certainly hear it in a few places.
I actually haven't gone far in the NGUAC before - this is my first year competing! I'm writing this after the results were released, and I'm pretty pumped that I managed to get the gold. Thanks again for the comments and for the opportunity!
FinnMK - Mad, Mad, Mad:
The Good:
-Your singing is definitely more audible in this piece, which is fantastic! There are a lot of extra vocal flairs sprinkled throughout which make this even better. It takes the vocals you had in your last piece and pulls them to the proper next level.
-Great introduction to the main themes throughout this. Everything is clearly laid out, and clearly recognizable. It even has some really nice harmonies at the start which you can feel later in the piece too.
-All of the instruments being live is a huge bonus once again - excellent!
-I almost didn't notice the pitch shift at the end. That step up is a wonderful flair and extremely well-executed (which most aren't).
-Your mixing is *almost* perfect in this piece. That's awesome - it's really hard to get a spot-on mix, and you're as close as people can really be.
-Excellent intro and outro.
The Not-So-Good:
-More vocal suggestion: It's a bit buried in this piece. Try displaying it a little bit more if the lyrics are any kind of focus in this piece (which it seems they are).
-The little drum rhythm at the start of the piece after the first mads seems to be a little bit too complex, actually. If the piece were rhythmically focused, it would make a bit more sense. But... it really isn't rhythmic at all - it has very simple rhythms throughout aside from that one bit. I see where you're going and I like it, I just think that it could be improved with a few tweaks to make it easier to follow on the first three or four listens.
The Result: 9.7/10
Clearly the highlight of the pieces this round, I have to say. This piece took literally everything I had heard from you before and pushed it further, which is exactly what the final round of a contest should be. Fantastic! Clearly I need to follow you musically and see what you come up with next.
FinnMK responds:
Thanks so much for the kind comments Skye. I've received a couple comments about the volume of the vocals. Several months ago I had them all too loud and now I've got them too quiet! Hopefully this means I can find an in-between ground.
Thanks for noticing the key shift! I happened upon a really smooth way to pull of the transition and I was curious to see if people would notice.
The rest is all good advice too. Always improving, improving...
good
FinnMK responds:
Thanks!